Apparatus for controlling a door

ABSTRACT

Door check mechanism including a rack adapted to be coupled to and extend outward from the frame, a gear adapted to be arranged on the door, the gear having teeth and being arranged in engagement with the rack and a detent mechanism arranged in engagement with the rack and the gear for enabling the door to be positioned in a plurality of fixed positions and for preventing movement of the door to a different fixed position when a force exerted upon the door is below a threshold. The detent mechanism may include a cam having a pawl in engagement with the rack and a detent and a spring for biasing the detent against the gear to press the gear against the rack. The gear is rotatable along the rack which each position in which the pawl engages one of the teeth being a possible position of the door.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/576,065 filed May 22, 2000 which in turn is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/040,206 filed Mar.17, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,185, which claims priority under 35U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.60/040,977 filed Mar. 17, 1997. This application also claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.60/040,977 filed Mar. 17, 1997 through the '065 application and the '206application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to opening closing and holdingdevices, systems and methods for doors and more particularly to holdingdevices for the doors of vehicles and most particularly for automobileand truck doors and the like. Door holding devices of the kind providedby this invention are often referred to as infinite-position holdingdevices or infinite position door checks because they act to hold thedoor in any open position to which it is moved and left standing, butstill permit the door to be readily moved to any other desired position.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] A door check mechanism is usually present on each vehicle door onall automobiles, recreational vehicles, vans, trucks, and virtually allother vehicles. In many designs, the door check mechanism provides twoopen detented positions, one at which the door is partially open and theother at which the door is fully open. In some cases, the door checkmechanism for a vehicle door provides only one open retention position.

[0006] Door check mechanisms of the fixed detent type are quite commonand have been used for many years. However, they are far from uniform inconstruction or in application. In many vehicles, the manufacturerprovides a check mechanism that is separate from the door hinges and itis typically mounted at a location midway between the two hinges. Inother instances, one of the hinges incorporates a check mechanism in thehinge structure itself.

[0007] Attempts have been made to incorporate an infinite door checkmechanism into a vehicle and a number of patents have been issuedcovering such devices (discussed below). None has yet achievedcommercial success due to the cost and complexity and well as the shortservice lives of these prior art mechanisms.

[0008] Door check mechanisms have in general exhibited some substantialdifficulties over the years including: (i) the need in some designs forfrequent lubrication without which they tend to make undesirable noises;(ii) inadequate operating life; (iii) corrosion; (iv) the inability toendure vehicle body processing temperatures associated with the curingof external finishes (400° F.); (v) the inability to be easily separatedfrom the vehicle after painting to permit the door to be separatelytrimmed and then reassembled to the body; (vi) the occurrence ofunacceptable stress and wear on the door hinges caused by loading fromthe door check; and (vii) the requirement for frequent post installationadjustment during the vehicle life. Each of these problems has beenaddressed in one or more of the prior art fixed detent door checks butthere is no infinite door check that has solved all of these problems.

[0009] The tendency for an automobile door to swing open or closed whennot desired is frequently caused by factors such as the transversecurvature or crown of a pavement or road, by the slope of a hill, or bya gust of wind. Such a tendency, when in the closing direction, causesthe door to strike the legs or other parts of a person entering orleaving the automobile. When in the opening direction, it can cause thedoor to impact into other people or objects inflicting harm or damagethereto. A particularly costly problem, as reported by automobileinsurance companies, happens in parking lots where the opening door ofone vehicle bangs into an adjacent vehicle causing damage to the finishthat can lead to an insurance claim. This increases the cost ofinsurance to all automobile owners.

[0010] To partially solve this problem, vehicle doors are frequentlyprovided with an inclined hinge axis incident to body design that biasesthe door to close. This is a desirable feature since it aids in theclosing of the door especially by older or physically impaired peopleand should not be defeated as is done by some infinite position doorchecks which maintain a friction drag on the vehicle door at all times.

[0011] As discussed below, this tendency of a vehicle door to swing inan unwanted manner is prevented or minimized by the infinite door checkmeans of the present invention which is effective to hold the door inany open position in which it is left standing, while permitting arelatively free manual movement of the door to any other desiredposition and a free self closing action when that is desired. Thisinvention also provides an infinite position door checking mechanismthat solves all of the problems of prior art infinite position doorchecks listed above in a simple and cost effective design. In thecontext of automobile manufacturing, for example, most of the designimplementations of this invention permit the door to be easily removedfrom the vehicle for trimming and then reassembled entailing only theremoval and replacement of a single pin.

[0012] The infinite position door check mechanism for regulating pivotalmovement of a vehicle door between a closed position and any openposition, which mechanism is sometimes incorporated in a hinge, includesan elongated strip member having a flat or curved surface; a cam, orother locking member, which engages one of the strip surfaces withvarying amounts of pressure contact depending on whether the door is inthe freely opening or closing mode, checked against movement in onedirection or checked against movement in both directions. Either the camor the strip member typically has a resilient plastic, brake material orother non-metallic surface, the other surface generally being metal. Theengaging portions of the cam and strip member surfaces are thuspreferably dissimilar materials, usually a metal and a non-metal.

[0013] Pertinent Prior Art Includes the Following:

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 406,840 to Jones describes a door check for doorsof buildings and like structures and includes a check-rod and a slidingsleeve containing two springs between which the check-rod is fitted. Thesprings bear or press constantly on opposite sides of the check-rod, andwhen they ride over inclined surface of the rod at a point of itsgreater diameter, they are compressed and serve to retard rapid movementof the door.

[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 2,232,986 to Westrope describes a door check devicehaving a check arm provided with spaced abutments providing a recesstherebetween. The check device includes a retainer through which the armextends and a pair of bearings in the retainer for engaging oppositesides of the arm and having socket-engaging portions. The bearingmembers are movable away from each other so that one of the abutmentsmay pass therebetween. The socket-engaging portions engage that abutmentwhen the bearing members are positioned in the recess. Yieldable meansare provided to hold the bearing members in engagement with oppositesides of the arm.

[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,976 to Westrope describes a door check for avehicle including an arm pivoted to either the door or the vehiclesupporting structure. The arm has a projection and a cushion thereon.The projection is adapted to engage a tiltable cam mounted upon theother structure and supported upon a resilient member. When the door isopened, the projection engages the cam and pushes it downward as theprojection slips over the cam. Thereafter, the cushion on the armengages the housing of the cam and cushions the halting motion of thedoor. After the projection on the arm has slipped over the cam, the camacts as a yielding abutment to hold the door open.

[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,977 to Westrope describes a door check for avehicle including a housing attached to the body of the vehicle and astrap or link attached to the door or vice versa. The housing contains atiltable cam engageable with a projection on the strap or link andhaving a spring member for maintaining this engagement. Optional meansare provided for adjusting the tension of the spring member.

[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,548 to Roethel is one of the early patents ondoor checks. The checking is done by friction drag that is increased attwo checking positions. The effectiveness of this system is degradedwhen the coefficient of friction changes, and the system has a limitedlife.

[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,451 to Schonitzer et. al. describes a designthat uses continuous sliding friction of a nylon plunger spring loadedagainst a ramp member. Some viscoelastic effect, or static/dynamicfriction, takes place when the door is held in a particular positionslightly increasing the resistance to further motion. Problems arisewith regard to dirt, moisture, temperature, wearing etc. This may be thefirst infinite door check patent. The holding power is stronger when thedoor is in the open position. The continuous friction defeats theautomatic door closing system. The holding force is designed to exactlycounter-balance the tendency of the door to close by itself. The systemis also dependent on sliding friction and therefore strongly affected bythe surface condition that may have a coating of oil, grease, moistureetc. or be dry.

[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,680 to Slattery describes a friction typedoor checking device that is designed to hold the door in discretepositions. It has the same problems as Schonitzer et al.

[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,481 to Bachmann describes an infiniteposition door checking device based on a frictional locking mechanism.The frictional locking mechanism is held in contact with the frictionsurfaces by means of a biasing spring that exerts its maximum torque andthus creates the maximum wear when the mechanism is in the unlockedposition.

[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,333 to Hakala describes an infinite positiondoor check system in which a contact edge of the detent member digs intothe friction member to provide a wedging restraint to hold the door. Itis thus a friction-based system. The torque spring has its maximum forcein the non-detented positions, thus, maximum drag. The system requirescareful alignment and is subject to wear. Thus the characteristics willchange over time. It does not have an intermediate detenting position.The normal tendency of the door to close under gravity causes thedetenting action. The frictional drag works to prevent the door fromclosing under its own weight thus defeating that desirable function.

[0023] U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,289 to Lohr describes a device including aninfinite position hold open hinge. This device is a totally slidingfriction dominated system using a plastic brake. A greater force isrequired to close the door than is required to open the door. There isdrag on the door in both directions and higher drag in the closingdirection. The brake is made of a material such as nylon or polyurethanethat the inventor claims has both a high static coefficient of frictionand low sliding coefficient of friction. Although this is the goal, thiscannot be achieved due to surface contamination.

[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,789 to Wize describes a system with fourdetents thus providing multiple locations for the door. The detentingmechanism slides smoothly over the detents as long as torque is appliedto the door. When motion is stopped, the detent falls into the closestspot. This may cause significant motion of the door to get to thenearest door detent. There also is an alignment problem with thisdevice. The detenting is done with rollers, however, so there is nosliding friction except for the friction spring associated with themechanism that carries the detents over the detenting holes or slots.

[0025] U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,531 to Fox et al. describes an infiniteposition door hold open using continuous sliding friction to wedge abrake to create a much larger friction. The device is complicated,requires adjustment, is sensitive to dirt, and has no positiveintermediate position. Thus, as with all other infinite door checksdiscussed thus far, the door is either in a position where it will moverelatively easily toward a more open position but is checked againstclosing or else it is in a position where it will move freely toward theclosed position but is checked against opening. The friction surfacesare knurled and adjustment is required during the life of the vehicledue to wear of brake surfaces.

[0026] U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,547 to Guionie et. al. describes a deviceusing a four-bar linkage structure that has the advantage of keeping thedetenting system aligned. Otherwise, it is a single position doorchecking mechanism. The checking motion is rather small, probablyresulting in significant variation in the checked position from vehicleto vehicle.

[0027] U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,056 to Griffin et. al. describes an infiniteposition door check that does not have an intermediate position. It usesa roller that rubs continuously on the friction surface resulting in awear problem. It can also defeated by moisture, oil, or othercontaminant etc. on the rubbing surfaces. For this reason, the hardrubber chosen as the friction surface is a poor choice since thefriction coefficient is strongly influenced by surface films. The rollermoves from one position to another based on differences in the frictioncoefficients between the biasing plunger and the hard rubber coatedarcuate friction surface. This system requires adjustment wheninstalling on vehicle.

[0028] U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,675 to Salazar describes a door hold opendoor check which is only engaged when the door is in the fully openposition. Therefore, the parts are not under continual cyclical stressas which reduces the wear problem.

[0029] U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,568 to Lee et. al. describes an infiniteposition door check system based on a difference between a high staticcoefficient of friction and low sliding coefficient of friction such asnylon or polyurethane. This is unsustainable as surface films willradically change the friction coefficients. Since significant frictionis always present, there is a wear problem resulting in a device with ashort life without adjustment.

[0030] U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,895 to Peebles describes a quick disconnectdoor hinge with an integral discrete position door check. It solves theproblem of being able to paint the door on the body and thendisassembling it for trimming and later reassembling it to the vehiclein an easy manner.

[0031] U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,243 to Anstaugh et al. describes the use of apolyester urethane material for coating the roller. This material isgood from 40° to 400° F. and lasts substantially longer than nylon if itis backed up by metal. Additionally, it is substantially quieter thanthe nylon on metal system used in the prior art.

[0032] U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,010 to Gignac et al. describes a detentsystem and shows the many different geometries that have been adopted byvarious vehicle manufacturers. It claims advantages in either the rolleror the track having a resilient elastomer core, preferably an elastomermaterial (e.g., a silicone polymer) that retains its elastic propertiesover a wide temperature range.

[0033] U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,991 to Carswell addresses some of the forcecomponents that can cause noise and premature failure of door checkmechanisms. The design described in this patent is a discrete door checkthat is claimed to be quite and have a long life. Once again, thecontacting materials are discussed and this patent recommends coatingthe link arm with Milon by DuPont that is moldable material. The bearingball purportedly provides three degrees of freedom where as the priorart devices with rollers allow for only two degrees of freedom with theresult of a fair amount of grinding of the housing adjacent the edges orshoulders of the link member. The ball system gives point contact,therefore higher forces and therefore greater wear. It has not beenrealized that this problem can and has been solved in prior art devicesby placing the rollers with their axes in a vertical direction. Althoughthe ball rolls in the groove, on which the patent makes a great issue,it is sliding on the elastomeric spring that pushes it down. Thissliding friction will cause wear and shorten the life of the door check.

[0034] U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,272 to Priest et al. describes a door hingewith infinitely adjustable detent or door check. It is significant sinceit is the first attempt to apply electronics to this problem. There isno obvious advantage to this overly complicated system since todeactivate the door holding system, the door must be moved whichrequires a force. The same force can be used to remove the detent in apure mechanical system.

[0035] U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,501 to Kramer et al. describes a device inwhich the detent force acts vertically so as to not load the pivot pin.However, in this case, the hinge pin is still loaded when the door ismoved into and out of the detented positions and thus the problem isonly partially solved. Any detenting system will put a couple onto thehinge pin.

[0036] U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,344 to Lee describes a device which is almosta duplicate of the Carswell patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,991) exceptrollers are used instead of balls. In this patent, the body as well asthe cover are all made from plastic. Significantly, there is a paddisclosed for the prevention of the introduction of foreign substancesinto the locking unit.

[0037] Although each of the above references attempts to solve one ormore of the problems listed above, in contrast to the infinite positiondoor check described herein, in no case is there provided an infinitedoor check mechanism which solves substantially all of these problems.As a result, there is no successful infinite door check in high volumecommercial use at this time although the desire for such a device iswell known in the industry.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide new andimproved door check mechanisms for regulating movements of a vehicledoor, or doors of other structures.

[0039] It is another object of the present invention to provide new andimproved door mechanisms which enables the door to be moved to aplurality of different open positions and held in those open positions.

[0040] It is still another object of the present invention to providenew and improved door check mechanisms which provide positive retentionof the vehicle door in an infinite number of open positions withoutinterfering with the normal opening and closing movements of the doors,yet exhibit long life and are essentially unaffected by high or lowtemperatures.

[0041] Further objects and advantages on this invention include, toprovide an infinite position door check mechanism which does not requirelubrication; has an operating life equivalent to that of the vehicle;does not corrode; is able to endure vehicle body processing temperaturesassociated with the curing of external finishes (about 400° F.); is ableto be easily separated from the vehicle after painting to permit thedoor to be separately trimmed and then reassembled to the body; issimple and inexpensive to manufacture and install; does not result inunacceptable stress and wear on the door hinges caused by loading fromthe door check; does not require post installation adjustment during thevehicle life; and has the capability to be released electricallypermitting the vehicle door to close under its own weight.

[0042] Accordingly, to achieve at least some of the objects above, oneembodiment of a door check mechanism in accordance with the inventioncomprises a rack adapted to be coupled to and extend outward from theframe, a gear adapted to be arranged on the door, the gear having teethand being arranged in engagement with the rack and a detent mechanismarranged in engagement with the rack and the gear for enabling the doorto be positioned in a plurality of fixed positions and for preventingmovement of the door to a different fixed position when a force exertedupon the door is below a threshold. A housing may be provided to houseor support the gear and all or only a portion of the detent mechanism.

[0043] In the alternative, the rack can be attached to the door and thegear and detent mechanism attached to the door frame.

[0044] The detent mechanism usually includes a member having a portionin engagement with the rack, e.g., an irregularly shaped cam with apawl, and some sort of pressure applying component(s) to press the gearagainst the rack, e.g., a detent and a spring for biasing the detentagainst the gear to, in turn, press the gear against the rack. Thedetent mechanism is designed to prevent rotation of the gear relative tothe member when a force exerted on the door is less than a threshold andallow rotation of the gear relative to the member when the force exertedon the door is greater than the threshold. Rotation of the gear relativeto the member is necessary in order for the gear to roll along the rackwhich translates into movement of the door relative to the rack, i.e.,relative to the door frame. That is, only when the gear is allowed torotate relative to the member will the position or degree of opening ofthe door be able to be changed from one initial fixed position toanother fixed position. Although the door can move when the gear rotatesrelative to the rack, so long as the gear rotates simultaneously withthe member, it will revert to the initial fixed position and will notchange fixed positions.

[0045] The detent mechanism is also designed to prevent movement of themember, and thus any movement of the gear, when a force exerted on thedoor is below a threshold. Thus, slight nudges of the door will notresult in movement of the door. The thresholds can be set by the designof the components of the detent mechanism.

[0046] The member or cam is preferably held in a stationary positionwhen the door is in a fixed position, for example, by a movable pistonmember having a roller arranged in connection therewith and whichengages an indentation on a side of the cam opposite the pawl. Thepiston member is biased by a spring to thereby force the roller intoengagement with the cam to prevent movement of the cam.

[0047] The rack may be guided between guide members arranged inconnection with the door or housing for the detent mechanism. Stops areprovided for stopping rotational movement of the member above athreshold to allow the gear to be able to rotate relative to the member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The invention will be described with reference to the followingnon-limiting drawings:

[0049]FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a vehicle doormounting, employed to describe and illustrate use of a door checkmechanism in accordance with the invention;

[0050]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle door check mechanismconstructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention where thedoor check is separate from the door hinge;

[0051]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the door check mechanismof FIG. 2;

[0052]FIG. 4A is a view of the cam and strip member illustrating themechanism in the detenting position where the cam opposes motion of thestrip member in either the door opening or door closing directions;

[0053]FIG. 4B is a view of the cam and strip member illustrating themechanism in the non-detenting position where the cam permits freemotion of the door in the door opening direction but opposes motion inthe door closing direction;

[0054]FIG. 4C is a view of the cam and strip member illustrating themechanism in the non-detenting position where the cam permits freemotion of the door in the door closing direction but opposes motion inthe door opening direction;

[0055]FIG. 5 is a partially sectional plan view of a vehicle door checkmechanism constructed in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention, with the door partially open and the cam in the fulldetenting position;

[0056]FIG. 6A is a detail view, partly in cross section of anotherpreferred embodiment of this invention of an infinite door checkmechanism made integral with the vehicle door hinge with the door shownin the closed position and where the compliance is part of the camsupport structure;

[0057]FIG. 6B is a detail view, partly in cross section of theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 6A with the door shown detented in apartially open position;

[0058]FIG. 6C is a cross section view of an alternate thinner design ofthe mechanism of FIGS. 6A and 6B with the vehicle and door checksupporting structures shown in outline with the door in the open andchecked position;

[0059]FIG. 6D is a view of the design of FIG. 6C with the door in theclosed position;

[0060]FIG. 7 is a detail view, partly in cross section of anotherpreferred embodiment of this invention of an infinite door checkmechanism made integral with the vehicle door where the compliance ispart of the strip support structure;

[0061]FIG. 8 is a cross section view of another preferred embodiment ofthis invention where two opposing cams are utilized;

[0062]FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the mechanism of FIGS. 1-5 withthe addition of an electrically operated release mechanism permittingthe door to automatically close under its own weight;

[0063]FIG. 10 illustrates an electrically operated door final closemechanism which can be used in combination with the electric release ofFIG. 9 to provide for complete door closure;

[0064]FIG. 11 is a cross section view of the mechanism of FIGS. 1-5modified to increase the drag of the cam on the strip thereby preventingthe door from swinging freely and also incorporating a serrated surfaceon the strip to increase the effective friction as the strip engages apoint on the cam;

[0065]FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the mechanism of FIGS. 1-5modified to eliminate the flat section on the cam;

[0066] FIGS. 13A,-13C are alternate methods of practicing the teachingsof this invention using other wedging mechanisms in place of the cam.(wedging roller, loop spring, 4-bar linkage);

[0067]FIG. 14 is a variation of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 illustrating theuse of a fixed detent for the opening motion of the vehicle door at apartially open position;

[0068]FIG. 15 illustrates another preferred embodiment illustrating theuse of angled wedging contact surfaces for the strip and support;

[0069]FIG. 16 illustrates apparatus for providing a drag on the doorcheck strip so as to dampen the motion of the door when it is in thenon-checked position;

[0070]FIGS. 17A, 17B and 17C illustrate another preferred embodiment ofthe invention;

[0071]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a door check in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention;

[0072]FIGS. 19A, 19B and 19C are side views of different positions ofthe embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 18;

[0073]FIG. 20 is a view of the front of a passenger compartment of anautomobile with portions cut away and removed showing driver andpassenger heads-up displays and a steering wheel mounted touch pad; and

[0074]FIG. 21A and FIG. 21B show interior surfaces where touch pads canbe placed such as on the armrest and projecting out of the instrumentpanel, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0075] Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like referencenumerals refer to the same or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews; FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a portion ofthe side of a vehicle, which could be an automobile or virtually anyother kind of vehicle, including a part of a door opening. A portion ofthe right front side body of the vehicle is shown at the right-hand sideand a portion of the door is shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 1respectively. The edge of the door opening, along the left-hand verticalside of body member 101, is identified by reference numeral 102. Closelyadjacent to the edge of the door opening 102, there is a vertical framemember 104, a part of the vehicle frame that may be the A-pillar. Theterms vertical frame member and A-pillar are used interchangeably hereinalthough the vertical frame pillar may be other than the A-pillar suchas the B-pillar if the door is a rear door of a four door vehicle.

[0076] The door portion shown in FIG. 1 includes an upper hinge 106 thatincludes appropriate mounting means for mounting it on the verticalframe member or A-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations 107,e.g., three mounting locations at which screws or welds are provided.Similarly, there is a second, lower hinge 109 that is fastened to theA-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations such as the mountinglocations 111, again by appropriate mounting means such as screws orwelds. Additionally, a clevis 120, having a vertical axis 114, is shownmounted on the A-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations 113.The clevis 120 is a part of a door check mechanism 118 comprising oneembodiment of the present invention and is described more fully below.The clevis 120 affords a pivotal connection for an elongated stripmember 116 that projects outwardly from A-pillar 104 and the clevis 120toward a door 117. Strip member 116 extends through a housing of thedoor check mechanism 118 that is mounted on door 117. The clevis 120 maybe omitted in its entirety and the strip member 116 either rigidlymounted to the A-pillar 104 in some cases, pivotally mounted directly tothe A-pillar 104 or flexibly mounted to the A-pillar 104.

[0077] Door 117 includes a vertical support member 119 that ispreferably an integral part of the door. Door check mechanism 118 ismounted on the support member 119 by fastening means indicated generallyas 121. Upper hinge 106 is mounted on door 117, preferably as indicatedat mounting locations 122, by fastening means and more particularly onsupport member 119. Similarly, the lower hinge 109 is mounted on thesupport member 119 at mounting locations 123 by fastening means. Thehinges 106,109 have a common pivotal axis 125 for enabling pivotalmovement of the door. The fastening means may be screws, nails, welds,rivets, adhesive, etc.

[0078] In one preferred form of the door check mechanism 118 that isshown in FIGS. 2-5, strip member 116 is arcuate and has two opposed,longitudinally extending flat surfaces 126 and 127. A locking membersuch as a locking cam 130 is arranged in a housing 170 of door checkmechanism 118 and has an integral cam shaft 132 and a profile around itscircumference composed of sections 134, 135, 136, 137 and 138, each ofwhich will now be described (FIG. 3). The cam 130 interacts with thestrip member 116 pressing it against a support member 160 with varyingamounts of force depending on the rotational position of the cam 130. Inthe views illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4A and 5, the cam 130 is in thetotally checked position which requires a force to either further openor close the door, that is to move the strip to the right or the left inFIG. 4A. In this position, cam profile portion 134 at the maximum radialdistance from the cam shaft 132, is in contact with the strip member 116and thus has compressed a biasing spring 150. Biasing spring 150 thuscauses cam 130 to exert a force against the strip member 116 that issupported by support member 160. For the strip member 116 to move fromthis position, sufficient force must be applied to the strip member 116to cause the cam 130 to rotate further compressing spring 150, sinceedges 134A and 134B of cam profile portion 134 are at a larger radialdistance from the cam shaft 132. The applied force to the strip member116 additionally must be sufficient to overcome the frictional forceexerted by support member 160 against strip member 116. The combinationof these forces effectively maintains the strip member 116 in thedetented position shown in FIG. 4A against forces caused by most windgusts and from gravity caused by the vehicle being parked on a hill, forexample.

[0079] At this juncture, it should be appreciated that the lockingmember may be other than the irregularly shaped cam shown in FIGS. 2-5and indeed, other locking members are within the scope and spirit of theinvention.

[0080] If sufficient force is applied to overcome the forces describedabove in, for example, the direction to open the door 117, then the cam130 will rotate to the position as shown in FIG. 4B at which point thecam profile portion 135 is now in contact with the strip member 116. Inthis position, the cam 130 has moved with cam holder 180, which isfixedly connected to the cam shaft 132, as far as it can go with a frontedge 181 in contact with support 160 of housing 170. The entire forceexerted by spring 150 is now countered by a force from support 160 ontocam holder 180 and thus the cam 130 no longer exerts a significant forceon the strip 116 and the strip 116 moves freely to the right as shown inFIG. 4B. Similarly, sufficient force applied on the strip member 116 tothe left in FIG. 4A, toward closing the door, places the cam 130 in theposition as shown in FIG. 4C permitting the door to be closed withlittle additional effort or under its own weight as described in moredetail below.

[0081]FIG. 4C also illustrates the interaction of tab 145 attached tocam support 170 with edge 139 of cam 130 which limits the rotation ofcam 130 and prevents the snap through of the elastica springs 140. Tab145 is at least partially received within the recessed arcuate surfaces137,138 of the cam 130. Other types of structure to limit the rotationof the cam 130 may also be applied in the invention.

[0082] When the cam 130 is in the position as shown in FIG. 4B andsufficient force is applied to the left on the door 117 to stop theopening momentum of the door 117, the door 117 will remain in positionabsent additional forces. If the door 117 is designed to be biasedtoward closing, then even a slight force toward further opening the door117 will not cause it to move until the bias is overcome. In thisposition, a small force will cause the door 117 to open further but amuch larger force in the closing direction is required to move the stripmember 116 to the position as shown in FIG. 4A. The magnitude of thisforce is determined by the geometry of the cam profile portions 134 and135, the magnitude of spring force 150 and by the coefficient offriction between the strip member 116 and support member 160.

[0083] A slight drag must be exerted onto the strip member 116 by thecam surface profile 136 if the cam 130 is to be engaged by the stripmember 116 and caused to rotate without slipping to bring the cam 130 tothe position shown in FIG. 4A from the positions shown in FIG. 4B orFIG. 4C. The required magnitude of this drag is determined by thecoefficient of friction between the strip member 116 and cam surfaceprofile 135 which determines the point of contact between the stripmember 116 and cam profile portion 135. A detailed mathematical analysisof this mechanism appears in Appendix 1. This drag is created by theaction of the elastica springs 140 that will now be described.

[0084] An elastica spring was chosen for its simplicity. Many othertypes of springs or combinations of springs and other mechanisms such ascams and linkages could also be designed to perform the desiredfunction. The preferred function for the spring 140 is one that exertslittle or no torque on the cam 130 when the cam 130 is in the positionas shown in FIG. 4A. As the cam 130 rotates from this position, thespring 140 should exert a force that opposes the motion of the cam 130and reach a maximum value at some angle between the positions shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, or FIGS. 4A and 4C at which point the torque shouldagain decrease to where it reaches a value at the positions shown inFIGS. 4B and 4C determined as that required to provide the desiredfriction drag opposing the motion of the door. This is the preferredtorque function and typically results in the greatest difference in camradii from the locked to the unlocked positions and thus the widestmanufacturing tolerances. Naturally, other functions will also work insome designs such as one where a constant torque is applied opposing themotion of the cam away from the position as shown in FIG. 4A, or, atorque function which only applies a torque in or near the positionsshown in FIGS. 4B and 4C and is zero everywhere else.

[0085] An elastica spring is a spring that acts like a buckled columnwhere when both ends are freely supported, the force does not increasesignificantly with greater deflection once a minimum deflection isobtained. In the cantilevered implementation used here, the force willincrease with increased deflection. As best seen in FIG. 4A, eachelastica spring 140 is made from a flat strip of metal and is attachedat end 142 by welding or other suitable attachment means to tab 182which is bent out of a plate forming part of cam holder 180. End 143 ofspring 140 rests against cam profile portion 137 in the position shownin FIG. 4A. As the cam 130 rotates toward the position shown in FIG. 4B,end 143 of elastica spring 140 (on the left) engages tab 138 of cam 130and exerts a torque onto the cam 130. This torque is very small or zerountil tab 138 engages end 143 and begins bending spring 140 toward theshape as shown in FIG. 4B. The torque first increases as the elasticaspring 140 is compressed but then decreases as the line of force of theelastica spring 140 onto cam 130 approaches a line drawn between support142 and the cam shaft 132 center. If the cam 130 were permitted torotate further, the torque would go through zero and begin increasing inthe opposite direction, counterclockwise in FIG. 4B or clockwise in FIG.4C. Since this is not desirable, the rotation of the cam 130 is limitedas described below. A detailed mathematical analysis of the forces andtorques appears in Appendix 1.

[0086] The checking mechanism as illustrated here has been designed fora coefficient of friction of about 0.1 or greater between the camprofile surfaces 135, 134 and the strip member 116. As long as thefriction coefficient exceeds this value, the strip member 116 will notslip on the cam 130 and the torque chosen will not cause the cam 130 toslip on the strip member 116. The mechanism can be designed for a lowerfriction coefficient such as about 0.05 with the result that thetolerances on the parts would become tighter which would increase themanufacturing cost. An alternate preferred design that can be used evenwhen lubrication is present is described below. Most materialcombinations exhibit a friction coefficient of greater than about 0.1providing the surfaces are not contaminated with a lubricant. Thepossible presence of a lubricant can be compensated for by providing aslight texture to the cam profile portion surfaces 134 and 135. Sincethere will only be rolling contact between surface 126 of the stripmember 116 and the cam profile portions 134 and 135, such a texturingwill not cause undue wear to the strip member surface 126. In order toreduce noise, the surface of strip member 116 is preferably made of aplastic such as a filled Nylon or with Milon by DuPont, or a similarpolymer. In some applications, an elastomer may be used and in othersbrake material can be used. A properly designed and made texturedsurface will defeat the lubricating action of most lubricants by cuttingthrough the surface lubricant film or forcing the lubricant to flow outof the space between the contacting surfaces.

[0087] A coil spring 150 is illustrated to create the contact pressurebetween the cam 130 and strip member 116. Naturally, other types ofsprings could be used including those made from an elastomer or from acantilevered beam.

[0088] The mechanism described above is illustrated in an exploded viewin FIG. 3 and in cross section in FIG. 5. Like reference numbersrepresent the same parts in each of the views in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B,4C and 5.

[0089] Checking device 118 includes an external box-like housing 170which is closed by a cover 176 both of which may be formed of sheetmetal and mounted upon door support element 119 by bolts, screws orother fasteners 123. The configuration of housing 170 is notparticularly critical. Housing 170 does include two apertures throughwhich the strip member 116 passes. The fastening means 121 connects thehousing 170 to the structure to which the door check mechanism 118 ismounted. The housing 170 provides a firm mounting for the cam 130 andcam holder 180. Cam 130 is preferably made by a powder metal or forgingor coining technology. Cam holder 180 can also be made from sheet metal.Cam 130, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, may comprise a central shaft 132on which a bushing member (not shown) is mounted. This bushing member ispreferably a precision molded element of relatively hard plastic andmay, for example, be formed of heat stabilized, 33% glass-fiber-filled6-6 nylon or of an aramid fiber reinforced, lubricant impregnatedpolyfluoroethylene terephthalate (PTFE) resin. Naturally, othermaterials can be used but those described here tolerate the temperaturesassociated with the painting of the vehicle door and with the lowestservice temperatures likely to be encountered.

[0090] The use of metal for the cam 130 and support 160 is predicatedupon the assumption that strip member 116 and its surfaces 126 and 127are formed of a hard, durable resin material such as nylon, so that whenthe two engage each other, as seen in FIGS. 2-5, the engagement will bethat of two dissimilar materials. Of course, if strip member 116 isformed of steel or other metal, then the external surface of cam 130 andsupport 160 are preferably made of a relatively hard precision moldedresin such as heat stabilized glass fiber-filled 6/6 nylon oraramid-fiber-filled PTFE. Alternately, brake material may be used forthe surfaces for some applications.

[0091] In explaining the operation of vehicle door check mechanism 118,it is most convenient to start from the closed position of door 117. Inthe closed position, the cam 130 is most likely to be in the positionshown in FIG. 4C. To open the door 117, the cam 130 must be rotated pastthe detented position illustrated in FIG. 4A to the position shown inFIG. 4B. This requires that sufficient force be applied to the door togo through this detent position. In some applications, it may bedesirable to eliminate this checking operation during the initial dooropening operation. This can be accomplished be removing or thinning thecenter part of the strip member 116 so that the cam 130 can move to theposition where the spring 150 forces edge 181 to engage edge 172 withoutthe cam 130 engaging the strip member 116. This either requires that thestrip member 116 be made thicker overall or that the center portion ofthe strip member 116 adjacent the vehicle support 104 be removedentirely.

[0092] To open door 117, the door latch (not shown) is released and thedoor 117 is pivoted toward an open position with respect to car body 101and particularly its frame member 104. The direction of this movement iscounter clockwise about hinge axis 125, viewed from above. This pivotalmovement of the door 117 drives door check mechanism 118 along stripmember 116, in the direction generally indicated by the arrow B in FIG.4B, and compels strip member 116 to pivot about axis 114 of clevis 113.This movement continues, as the door proceeds in its pivotal openingmovement, until the desired position of the door has been reached oruntil the door is fully opened and door stop 190 engages wall 174 ofhousing 170 (FIG. 5). Door stop 190 is arranged on strip member 116. Ifthe desired position is less than full open then the door 117 willremain in that position absent an additional force to further open thedoor 117. If the door motion is reversed slightly, the detent willengage as shown in FIG. 4A and the door 117 will remain in that positionuntil a significant force is applied in either direction as describedabove.

[0093] To close door 117, of course, it is pivoted back toward body 101and frame member 104 (FIG. 1). On the return motion, if desired, door117 can again be stopped and held at any intermediate position byapplying a force in the opening direction until the detent is engaged.

[0094] The cam 130 is preferably solid steel providing that the stripmember 116 has a polymeric or other non-metallic coating. If the stripmember 116 has instead a metallic surface then the cam can be molded ofa hard, relatively non-resilient plastic such as a glass-fiber-filledheat stabilized nylon or otherwise have a non-metallic surface. Thepurpose, as before, is to assure that where the cam surfaces 134, 135,the support surface 160 and the strip surfaces 126,127 engage there aredissimilar materials, avoiding any tendency toward “freeze-up” inoperation or unnecessary noise. Also, lubrication is not generallyrequired except on the cam shaft 132. In some applications it may bepossible to use metal for both the surfaces of the cam 130 and stripmember 116 providing consideration is provided elsewhere to acousticallydampen the resulting noise.

[0095] In part due to the distortable nature of the cam 130 (FIGS. 2-5)or the track member (FIGS. 6,7 discussed below) and to the use ofdifferent engaging surfaces on the cam and track members, permanentlubrication, as with the use of lubricant impregnated roller shafts orbearing members may be employed, but may be unnecessary in at least someinstances.

[0096] The preferred embodiment illustrated above is for the case wherethe checking mechanism is separate from the hinge. Naturally, theinfinite door check mechanism of this invention can be integrated intothe hinge itself as is common in the prior art with fixed detect doorchecks. One example of such a mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 6A and6B which are views, partly in cross section, of another preferredembodiment of this invention, of an infinite door check mechanism madeintegral with the vehicle door hinge with the door shown in the closedposition in FIG. 6A and in the open position in FIG. 6B. The operationof this implementation is analogous with that of FIGS. 1-5 above andtherefore will not be described in detail. In this embodiment, member209 is attached to the vehicle A-pillar and rotated about hinge pin 214defining a rotational axis. An additional part of the hinge mechanism,not illustrated, attaches the door to a hinge member 216 so thatchecking mechanism 218 also rotates about hinge pin 214. During therotation of the door relative to the A-Pillar, cam 230 engages the outercircular surface of hinge member 216 in a manner similar to which cam130 engages strip member 116 in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5. The cam230 is illustrated in the locking position in both FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0097] A strip of bent spring material 250 is used in this embodimentinstead of the coil spring 150 to force the cam 230 against the outersurface of hinge member 216. Although other constructions of biasingmeans for forcing the cam 230 against the outer surface of hinge member216 are possible, this design was selected to reduce the space requiredfor the checking mechanism.

[0098] A variation of this design is illustrated in FIGS. 6C and 6Dwhere the checking mechanism 218 has been attached to the vehicleA-Pillar 204 and member 209 has been attached to the vehicle door 217.In this case, the location of the elastica springs 240 has changed tofurther reduce the thickness of the door check mechanism 218.

[0099]FIG. 7 is a detailed view, partly in cross section of anotherpreferred embodiment of this invention of an infinite door checkmechanism made integral with the vehicle door where the compliance ispart of the strip support structure. Strip 314 is preloaded against cam130 that performs similar functions as in the embodiments describedabove.

[0100] In some implementations where there is sufficient space, twoopposing cam mechanisms 130 a, 130 bcan be used in place of the singlecam structure as described above as illustrated in FIG. 8 which is across sectional view, each cam mechanism 130 being essentially asdescribed above. In such cases, the door check mechanism will generallybe mounted in a vertical plane instead of the horizontal planeillustrated in FIG. 1. In this implementation, elastic springs 316 areshown in a pivoting arrangement about supports 342. This two camimplementation has the advantage of reduced wear since the strip member116 is not sliding on a support member such as 160 in FIG. 2. In thisembodiment, there is only a single spring 150 which is sufficient toexert pressure forcing cam 130 a against the strip member 116 which ispressed against cam 130 b thereby securely retaining the strip member116 in a fixed position.

[0101] A common complaint among older and disabled people is that oncethey are in the vehicle and the door is detented open, closing the doorcan be a difficult chore. What is desired is a feature where with thepush of a button, the door will close automatically. This feature can bereadily added to the instant invention as shown in FIG. 9 that is across section view of the mechanism of FIGS. 1-5 with the addition of anelectrically operated release mechanism 450 permitting the door toautomatically close under its own weight.

[0102] In many cases, doors are designed to be gravity biased to closeautomatically except for the detenting system. If the detent can beremoved in these cases, the door will close automatically under its ownweight unless the vehicle is tilted significantly to the side orpointing down a hill. An electrical release mechanism 450 is illustratedin FIG. 9 which utilizes actuation means such as a motor 452 to pull onrod 453 which extends through a cam support bracket 185 by overcomingthe force of bias spring 150 and thus cam 130 is moved from engagementwith strip member 116. Cam support bracket 185 is a part of cam holder180. With the detenting and friction forces absent, strip member 116 canmove freely and the door closes under its own weight. Motor 452 can be aconventional electric motor acting through a worm gear or similar motionconverter, a conventional stepping motor, a thermoactuating motor suchas used for some windshield wiper motors using thermoactuating polymersmade by the Hoechst Celanese Corporation, or through the use ofthermo-actuating wire such as Flexinol™ made by Dynalloy Inc.

[0103] Usually, the momentum of the door closing as described isinsufficient to fully close the door and an additional mechanism isrequired for pulling the door to its completely closed and latchedposition. Such a device is illustrated schematically as 500 in FIG. 10.Naturally, although FIG. 10 illustrated the mechanism for the driverdoor, it can be applied to all of the vehicle doors. Thus using one ormore switches, the driver of the vehicle can close all of the vehicledoors automatically. In some cases, it might be desirable toadditionally provide for an electric motor door closing mechanism sothat the door will close even when the vehicle is parked on a hill.

[0104] The invention as implemented in FIGS. 1-4 above, utilized anelastica spring system which was designed to have a torque functionwhich started at zero in the fully checked position of FIG. 4A increasedand then decreased to a low value as the cam moved toward the positionsshown in FIGS. 4B and 4C. This design is useful when there is sufficientdrag in the door hinges to prevent the door from swinging freely.Without some damping caused by friction drag, the door would not havethe customary “feel”. One way to add drag to the mechanism of thisinvention is to maintain a significant torque on the cam so that italways rubs on the strip. One method of doing this is illustrated inFIG. 11 where a cantilevered spring 540 provides a torque function thatincreases continuously as the cam 130′ rotates beyond certain limits.The end of the cantilevered spring 540 that is not mounted to thehousing 170 is movable between two projections 546 on the cam 130′. Asbefore, tab 145 interacts with edge 139 to prevent excessive rotation ofthe cam 130. Other means for increasing a drag force to the cam can alsobe used in accordance with the invention. FIG. 11 also illustrates analternate relationship between the cam 130′ and the strip member 116′where a point 534 of the cam 130′ is designed to interact with aserrated surface on the strip member 116′ much like a single gear toothengaging a rack of gear teeth. In this embodiment, the coefficient offriction becomes relatively unimportant as a positive engagement isachieved.

[0105] In some cases, the door is so strongly biased toward closing thatan intermediate checking position is not required. FIG. 12 illustratesthe removal of the checking position of FIG. 4A by the reduction of thelength of flat surface 134 of the cam 130 to zero length, i.e., apointed tip. One application for this example is for cabinet doors thatare spring-biased toward closing. In this case, the door can be openedto any desired degree and it will maintain that position until areversing force is applied sufficient to overcome the checking action ofthe cam 130. Another application for such a design is for verticallyopening doors, lids, or covers such as used for vehicle hoods andtrunks, for example.

[0106] Up until now, a cam type wedging mechanism has been illustrated.Alternate systems can also be used as illustrated in FIGS. 13A-13F. InFIGS. 13A and 13B, the principle of a roller sprag is illustrated. In anarrangement similar to FIGS. 13A and 13B, a ball can be used in place ofthe roller. The principle of operation is similar but the strip nowcontains a groove to retain the ball.

[0107] A detailed discussion of the operation of the conventional spragroller system can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,144 to Vranish whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if it all wordsand figures were literally inserted here. The sprag disclosed as priorart in the '144 patent has been modified here to permit a certainmaximum torque to be transmitted between the driving member (stripmember 116) and the driven member (member 634) by means of roller 630before a snap through to the detent position and then to free motion inthe other direction is permitted. In the normal operation of a sprag,the transmitted torque is considered infinite and no snap throughfeature is provided. The mechanism of FIGS. 13A and 13B is therefore nota true sprag mechanism although the principles of operation are similar.

[0108] Still another wedging system is illustrated in FIGS. 13C-13Ewhere a piece of spring material 730 is formed so as to provide easymotion of the strip to the right in FIG. 13C, a detent position whenmotion is reversed as shown in FIG. 13D (in which the spring 730 has agenerally U-shape, followed by a free motion to the left aftersufficient force has been applied to move out of the detented positionas shown in FIG. 13E. The ends of the spring 730 are mounted to tabs 732bent out of the housing 170. FIG. 13F shows a similar device where thespring 730 has been replaced by a three bar linkage 830 and a biasingspring 850. The three bar linkage 830 includes two opposed bars 830A andone transverse bar 830B. The opposed bars 830A are each pivotallymounted at one end to the housing 170 and at the opposite end, pivotallymounted to the transverse bar 830B.

[0109]FIG. 14 is a variation of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 illustrating theuse of a fixed stop for the opening motion of the vehicle door at apartially open position. To this end, the strip member 916 includesprojections 920 arranged at the transverse edges thereof and whichextend inward toward the cam 930. The location of the projections 920determines the degree of opening of the door at the fixed stop. The cam930 is formed to have a central shaft 932, an upper disk 934, a lowerdisk 936 and an irregularly shaped section 938. The irregularly shapedsection 938 may be as described above with reference to FIGS. 2-5. Whenthe strip member 116 and housing 170 are moved with respect to oneanother during swinging of the door so that the projections 920 contactthe upper and lower disks 934,936, the position of the door may be fixedthereat. In other respects, this embodiment is similar to the embodimentshown in FIGS. 2-5.

[0110]FIG. 15 is another preferred embodiment illustrating the use ofangled contact surfaces for the strip and support, in a similar manneras in the Vranish '114 patent referenced above. A similar arrangementcan also be used for the cam and strip member. In this embodiment, thestrip member 116′ has beveled edges and the support member 160′ has agroove receivable of at least portion of the strip member 116′.

[0111]FIG. 16 illustrates apparatus for providing a drag on the doorcheck strip to as to dampen the motion of the door when it is in thenon-checked position. In this embodiment, brake material 666 is pressedagainst strip member 116 by springs 667 mounted on the housing 170.

[0112] Several of the features of the above designs are combined in thepreferred design illustrated in FIGS. 17A, 17B and 17C. A housing 962 isattached to the door by fastening means 964 which may be screws, nailsand the like. The cam 952 is supported by shaft 954 and biased againstthe strip member 958 by a biasing spring 950. Strip member 958 may be asin any of the embodiments above and is adapted to be mounted to the doorframe of the vehicle. That is, strip member 958 is adapted to be mountedto and extend outward from the door frame and is arranged at leastpartially in the housing 962 and at least partially interposed betweenthe cam 952 (more broadly referred to as a locking member) and a conicalsupport member 960 which is also arranged in the housing 962. Biasingspring 950 also provides the required torque on cam 952 thus eliminatingthe need for the elastica springs as in some of the embodiments above.Thus, the biasing spring 950 maybe considered biasing and torque meansfor biasing the cam 952 against the strip member 958 and applying avariable torque to the cam 952 to thereby vary a force necessary toresult in movement of the strip member 958 relative to the cam 952. Adetailed analysis of this mechanism is provided in Appendix 2. The strip958 contains a surface made from brake material 917 on its top andcontains the sprag wedging system of FIG. 15 on its lower surface whichmates with the conical support member 960. The shaft 954 is retained ina hole 980 by retaining washer and retaining rings 981 and 982. The cam952 is thus permitted to move up and down on the shaft through theelongated groove 931. The downward motion of the cam 952 is limited whenthe cam 952 reaches the bottom of groove 931 at which point the load ofthe cam 952 against the strip 958 is substantially reduced. The cam tip956 rolls on the strip surface 917 due to the high coefficient offriction. The sprag effect between the strip 958 and support member 960multiples the friction drag force providing the needed checking forcefor the system. Instead of a single biasing spring 950, several springsmay be provided.

[0113] An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in perspectivegenerally at 1000 in FIG. 18. In this embodiment of the invention, arack and pinion gearing system replaces the friction system of theearlier designs. More specifically, a rack 1020, or other elongatemember with teeth adapted to mesh with those of a pinion or gearwheel,is attached to a frame or strip 1015 and engages a pinion gear orcogwheel 1022. Strip 1015 is guided into engagement with the gear 1022.A frame or housing structure 1030 retains or supports the various partsas described below. Spring 1025 provides the force to check the motionof the door. Bracket 1010 is attached to the door frame and theremaining mechanism, i.e., the frame 1030, is housed within the door orarranged on or in connection with the door.

[0114] The spacing and/or number of teeth on the rack 1020 determinesthe number of different open positions of the door relative to the doorframe because the space between each adjacent pair of teeth correspondsto one open position of the door.

[0115] Instead of the gear 1022, another movable and/or rotatable memberhaving teeth or projections may be used. The teeth or projections shouldbe designed to engage with the teeth of the rack 1020 to preventmovement of the rack 1020 when the movable/rotatable member isstationary.

[0116] A side view of the mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 19A, 19B,and 19C. In FIG. 19A, the mechanism is shown in the detented positionwherein a pawl 1024 of the cam 1040 engages the rack 1020. For the doorto move from the detented position, cam 1040 must rotate to permit thepawl 1024 to release its engagement with the rack 1020. Pawl 1024 may beintegral with the cam 1040 or formed separate therefrom and attachedthereto.

[0117] In order for cam 1040 to rotate, a roller 1050 must be forced tomove, in a downward direction in the drawing, causing piston member 1060to depress spring 1025. Otherwise, roller 1050 is pressed by the spring1025, via the piston member 1060, into an indentation in a surface ofthe cam 1040 opposite the pawl 1024. The spring 1025 is designed toprevent movement of the piston member 1060 and roller 1050 unless aforce above a threshold is exerted on the door, to open or close thedoor, thereby forcing rotation of the cam 1040 relative to the rack1020. Such a force above the threshold causes rotation of the cam 1040and thus downward movement of the roller 1050, piston member 1060 andspring 1025.

[0118] The non-detented position of the mechanism is illustrated in FIG.19B wherein the gear 1022 continues to engage the rack 1020 as the strip1015 moves relative to the mechanism, toward the left in FIG. 19B (sincethe strip 1015 is attached to the door frame, the detent mechanism isactually moved relative to the strip 1015). Detent 1044 moves againstspring 1045 as the gear 1022 rotates under the force from the rack 1020.This detent 1044 is shown engaging a slot in gear 1022 in FIG. 19A,i.e., a slot defined between two adjacent teeth of the gear 1022.

[0119] In FIG. 19B, the detent 1044 remains engaging the same slotbetween two teeth as in FIG. 19A, in spite of the rotation of the cam1040. Additional motion of rack 1020 rotates gear 1022, above athreshold force exerted on the door, without further rotation of the cam1040, which is now pushed against stop 1035, two of which are providedon opposite sides of the gear 1022. The detent 1044 therefore must rideover the next tooth in gear 1022 to permit additional motion of thestrip 1015 relative to the mechanism 1000. If the motion of the strip1015 reverses, the detent 1044 provides sufficient force to hold the cam1040 and pawl 1024 together until the pawl 1024 is again engaged withthe rack 1020 and the mechanism returns to the position shown in FIG.19A, the detented position.

[0120] To summarize, in the initial detented position, both the pawl'stooth and the gear 1022 are meshed with the rack 1020. To start openingor unlocking the detent 1044, it is necessary to apply the appropriateforce along the rack 1020 to overcome the cam's fixation that isprovided by the roller 1050, piston 1060 and flat spring assembly 1025.During the rack translation, the cam 1040 and gear 1022 rotatesimultaneously due to the spring-loaded detent 1044 until the edge ofthe cam 1040 contacts one of the stops 1035. Thereafter, the gear 1022is able to rotate relative to the cam 1040 as the rack 1020 continues tomove.

[0121] The rack 1020 continues its movement in the same direction andthe cam shoulder rests against its stop 1035 and the detent 1044 jumpsfrom slot to slot between the teeth in gear 1022 thus maintaining theconnection between the cam 1040 and the gear 1022.

[0122] To once again engage the door check at the desired position ofthe door, the motion of the rack 1020 is stopped and a slight movementbackward causes the gear 1022 to drive the cam tooth into a meshingengagement. The cam 1040 catches the roller 1050 and locks the rack 1020with its tooth ready to bare the detenting loads.

[0123] As described above, the rack 1020 is mounted in the frame 1015which is connected to a bracket 1010 which in turn is mounted to thedoor frame. The detent mechanism is thus arranged in connection with thedoor. A reverse arrangement is also possible, i.e., the rack beingarranged on the door and the detent mechanism being arranged inconnection with or housed within the door frame.

[0124] In all of the implementations described above, the detentingmechanism has been mechanical. With the trend to add more electronics toautomobiles, the door detent system can similarly be accomplishedelectrically. Such a system can be implemented in numerous waysgenerally involving a brake mechanism that engages a strip with theforce of the brake against the strip being provided typically with aspring and an electrical system such as a motor or solenoid used toremove the brake from strip. Thus, the implementation of an electricalsystem is relatively simple and the switching system used to activatethe electrical system now permits additional comfort and conveniencefeatures to be incorporated into the automobile. Additionally, themotion of the door itself can now be motorized. In such a case, aseparate brake may not be required as the resistance to rotation of themotor armature itself will serve as the detent system.

[0125] In one implementation of such a system, a capacitive sensing areais placed on the door and when the hand of the occupant touches thisarea, provided the vehicle is not moving and the parking gear engaged,the door will unlock and a motor will begin to open the door. As long asthe occupant's hand is adjacent the capacitive surface, the doorcontinues to open with no significant force provided by occupant. Thus,this system is particularly useful to older or disadvantaged people donot have significant strength to open a typically heavy vehicle door.Through touching a second capacitive sensing surface on the door, thedoor can also be caused to close.

[0126] Many other systems can be used to control the doors as well asanother vehicle components in addition to switches and mouse pads. Theseinclude track balls, sequentially pressing of one or more switches tocause the selection of desired function to change followed by adepression of a second switch that selects the action. In this lattercase, the switches can be located on the steering wheel near the edgewhere the driver hands normally rest to permit easy operation of theseswitches using driver's thumbs. For example, a switch can be locatednear the right side of the steering wheel for activation by the rightthumb which could be used to select the function (e.g., open thepassenger door) and a switch located on the left side causes thefunction to be executed (e.g., the passenger door is opened). Ingeneral, any of the conventional and even unconventional input devicesthat are used for manual input of information to a computer can be usedin this case. A joystick coupled with a mouse button where the joystickcan also be located on the steering wheel is another alternative.

[0127] Many other types of switching systems can be used. For example, amouse pad can be adapted to a steering wheel, as disclosed in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/645,709 filed Aug. 14, 2000 (incorporatedby reference herein in its entirety), as part of the vehicle's componentcontrol system. Activating the mouse pad and a heads-up or other typedisplay, the driver can cause any of the doors of the vehicle to open orclose. Such a device can be located at other locations in the vehicle asillustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21 and described in more detail below. Othertypes of switching systems can be used such as SAW based wireless andpowerless switches described in U.S. provisional patent application Ser.No. 60/304,013 filed Jul. 9, 2001 (incorporated by reference herein inits entirety). An array of such switches, or other types of switches,can be used along with a display or voice system to control the locking,unlocking and motion of the vehicle doors from either one or a varietyof locations within the vehicle. A voice activation system for examplecan be used to operate the vehicle doors. In such a case, the driver canenunciate “open driver door” causing the door to unlock and beginopening. At the appropriate time, driver can say “stop” and the doorwill then detent at that desired position. Similarly, the driver can say“close door” and the reverse action is initiated.

[0128] In one preferred embodiment of the system, the door openingcapability can be provided to a driver to open, unlock, close and lockany of the doors, including the trunk, of the vehicle from driver seatlocation. Generally, the other doors of the vehicle can only be operatedfrom the seat adjacent that door except in case of the driver who canoperate all of the vehicle doors.

[0129] With power-operated doors, it is desirable to sense objects orobstructions that may prevent the door from closing and to stop motionof the door when such an obstruction occurs. This can be accomplished innumerous ways such as optically, as described in U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/292,386 filed May 21, 2001, ultrasonically asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,629,68 land 5,829,782 (all of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety), or through sensingthe current and/or voltage in the motors used to open and close thedoor. When that current increases above a threshold, it is assumed thatthe door has encountered an obstruction and motion is stopped and insome cases reversed.

[0130] Similarly during the opening process of the door and in order toprevent impacts of the door with another vehicle in a parking lot, forexample, or a tree or other external object, when the current in thedrive motor exceeds a threshold, the motion of the door can be stopped.An override can be provided to account for cases where vehicle is tiltedor the door is encountering resistance caused by brush or snow, forexample, or other obstruction where the driver desires to continuemotion of the door in spite of the obstruction.

[0131] More sophisticated sensors can also be used to stop the openingmotion of the door to prevent an impact with another object. Suchsensors include but are not limited to capacitive sensors, ultrasonicsensors, laser radar sensors, lidar, radar or vision sensors usingeither visual, infrared, ultraviolet, or any other part ofelectromagnetic spectrum. For vehicles which have blind spot detectorsor anticipatory side impact sensors, for example, the sensing of anobstruction to a powered opening door can become part of such a system.

[0132] When a person approaches his or her vehicle from the exterior, avariety of systems can be provided to aid the driver in opening thevehicle door. In one case, for example, the driver can depress a key fobto unlock the door and by holding the button down the door can be openedwhile the occupant is still some distance from the vehicle.Alternatively, the operator may possess an RFID tag in his pocket, forexample, and as he or she approaches the vehicle, the vehicle systeminterrogates and recognizes the identification on the RFID tag andautomatically unlocks and begins opening the door. In another preferredembodiment, the owner will merely touch the door or door handle and thevehicle can recognize the owner through a biometric sensing system, suchas a fingerprint, voice print, facial scan, iris scan etc. or through anRFID as mentioned above. Achieving a positive identification, thevehicle can then proceed to open the door. This process in the casesabove can be reversed if the owner exerts a threshold force on dooropposing its motion.

[0133] In the event of an accident, where the occupants are incapable ofoperating the doors, a voice request to an ONSTAR™ operator, forexample, can initiate a remote action to unlock and open the vehicledoors. Similarly, if the ONSTAR™ operator, or other observer, canremotely determine that vehicle occupants have become incapacitated byvirtue of an accident, or otherwise, and that the occupants would beaided through opening of the doors or windows, a camera placed withinthe passenger compartment which sends a view of the compartment couldprovide sufficient information for such an operator to initiate door orwindow opening.

[0134] Although there have been a few vehicle models with unusual doorhinging structures, generally the front driver and passenger doors hingeon A-pillar and rotate about an approximately vertical axis. Other dooropening schemes have been attempted but are difficult for a driver orother vehicle occupant to operate. Although power sliding doors have theused in some vans, they have heretofore not been adopted for the frontvehicle doors. Utilizing the teachings of this invention, this newcapability now exists. In fact, there are now many options for the pathof the front driver and passenger doors that are now possible. Forexample, the door can slide forward after first moving laterally outwardfrom the car. In this case, the maximum space becomes available for thedriver or passenger to enter or leave the vehicle permitting the entireopening to be available. It also prevents the vehicle door from banginginto the sides of other vehicles in a parking lot, for example.

[0135] Since the door is operated by electric motors, the path taken bythe door is limited only by the imagination of the designer. Instead ofgoing out and then forward for example, the door could be designed tomove vertically either straight upward or in a curved path to a positionabove the vehicle roof. The door could also be made to move toward therear, however, in some cases this could interfere with the rear doors.It would certainly be possible for a two door vehicle. Finally, the doorcould even be designed to rotate downward and underneath the vehicle andeven provide a step for easy entry and exit from the vehicle. This wouldbe particularly desirable in some high vehicles such as SUVs.

[0136] Thus, the addition of electric power to control the opening andclosing of the front doors offers many new options for the vehicledesigner. The actual path taken by door can be controlled through slidemechanisms or through various linkage designs including four-bar,five-bar, or other spatial linkage mechanisms.

[0137] In most or all of the various door configurations discussedabove, it is desirable to replace the current wire harness system thatbrings power and information to and from the door with a similar system.Such systems include a one wire pair system such as described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,326,704 or a wireless system as described in U.S. provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 60/231,378 filed Sep. 8, 2000 and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/765,558 filed Jan. 19, 2001 as desired bythe designer (the patent and these applications being incorporated byreference herein in their entirety). FIG. 20 is a view of the front of apassenger compartment 1150 of an automobile with portions cut away andremoved, having dual airbags 1160, 1161 and an electronic control module1170 containing a heads-up display (HUD) control system comprisingvarious electronic circuit components shown generally as 1172, 1174,1176, 1178 and microprocessor 1180. The exact selection of the circuitcomponents depends on the particular technology chosen and functionsperformed by the occupant sensor and HUDs 1140, 1145. Wires 1164 and1165 lead from the control module 1170 to the HUD projection units, notshown, which projects the information onto the HUDs 1140 and 1145 forthe driver and passenger, respectively. Wire 1163 connects a touch pad1162 located on the driver steering wheel to the control module 1170. Asimilar wire and touch pad are provided for the passenger but are notillustrated in FIG. 20. These touch pads can provide a method forcontrolling various vehicle systems and components including a dooropening and closing system.

[0138] The microprocessor 1180 may include determining means fordetermining the location of the head of the driver and/or passenger forthe purpose of adjusting the seat to position either occupant so thathis or her eyes are in the eye ellipse or to adjust the HUD 1140, 1145for optimal viewing by the occupant, whether the driver or passenger.The determining means would use information from the occupant positionsensors such as 1110, 1111, 1113 or other information such as theposition of the vehicle seat and seat back. The particular technologyused to determine the location of an occupant and particularly of his orher head is preferably based on neural networks or neural fuzzy systems,although other probabilistic, computational intelligence ordeterministic systems can be used, including, for example, patternrecognition techniques based on sensor fusion. For the case where aneural network is used, the electronic circuit may comprise a neuralnetwork processor. Other components on the circuit include analog todigital converters, display driving circuits, etc.

[0139] The interior of a passenger vehicle is shown generally at 1600 inFIGS. 21A and 21B. These figures illustrate two of the many alternatepositions for touch pads, in this case for the convenience of thepassenger. One touch pad 1610 is shown mounted on the armrest withineasy reach of the right hand of the passenger (FIG. 21A). The secondinstallation 1620 is shown projected out from the instrument panel 1625.When not in use, this assembly can be stowed in the instrument panel1625 out of sight. When the passenger intends on using the touch pad1620, he or she will pull the touch pad assembly 1620 by handle 1640bringing the touch pad 1620 toward him or her. For prolonged use of thetouch pad 1620, the passenger can remove the touch pad 1620 from thecradle and even stow the cradle back into the instrument panel 1625. Thetouch pad 1620 can then be operated from the lap of the passenger. Inthis case, the communication of the touch pad 1620 to the vehicle isdone by either infrared or radio frequency transmission or by some otherconvenient wireless method or with wires.

[0140] In any of the various embodiments of the invention describedabove, the door check mechanism should afford excellent performancecharacteristics over the fuill vehicle life. These door check mechanismsprovide quiet operation over the full range of door movement, requirelittle or no lubrication and have a minimum of moving parts; they arelight in weight and adaptable to use with bolts, butt welding, orvirtually any other; mounting arrangement. Corrosion is effectivelyavoided and adjustment of operational force requirements is readilyachieved.

[0141] The infinite door check mechanism in accordance with theinvention may be used for doors other than vehicular doors, although itsuse in vehicular doors is of primary importance as the need for such adoor check mechanism is most prominent in this regard. There areadditionally other non-door applications for the mechanisms disclosedherein.

[0142] Thus, disclosed above is an embodiment of the invention whichrelates to an infinite position door check mechanism for regulatingmovement of a vehicle door, pivotally mounted on a first support elementcomprising part of a vehicle frame, between a closed position and anopen position that is displaced from the closed position by an angle,the vehicle door including a second support element. The door checkmechanism comprises a strip member, including an elongated substantiallyflat smooth surface, a detent cam or other locking member, and mountingmeans for mounting the strip member on one of the support elements andfor mounting the detent cam member on the other of the support elementswith the detent cam member aligned with the strip surface. The detentcam member has a rigid surface with a varying radius about its rotationaxis that engages the strip member. The strip member preferably has acoating of a polymeric or other non-metallic material on those surfacesthat engage the cam. Either a second detent cam member or a supportmember is provided on the opposite side of the strip from the first cammember. The strip surface and the external surface of the detent cam arepreferably formed of dissimilar materials. The detent cam is mounted sothat when engaged in a detenting relationship with the strip, it isresiliently pressed against the strip. The resilient cam mounting meansand the support means conjointly maintain the detent cam member inpressure rolling engagement with the strip surface during the detentingoperation. During other motions of the door, the detenting cam slides onthe strip with very little force. The alignment of the cam member andthe strip surface cause the detent cam member to detentingly engage withthe strip when the door is pivoted to any partially open position and aforce is exerted in the opposite direction so that the detent cam memberand the strip member releasably maintain the door in any desired openposition.

[0143] In one embodiment, the infinite door check mechanism comprises adoor check housing adapted to be mounted on the door, a support memberarranged in the housing, a rotatable locking member arranged in thehousing and an arcuate member adapted to be mounted to and extendoutward from the frame. The arcuate member is arranged at leastpartially in the housing and at least partially interposed between thelocking member and the support member. Also, the arcuate member andlocking member are movable relative to one another. The door checkmechanism further includes biasing means for selectively pressing thelocking member against the arcuate member to force the arcuate memberagainst the support member and thereby retain the arcuate member in afixed position (resulting in checking of the door) and releasingpressure of the locking member against the arcuate member and therebyenable movement of the arcuate member, and torque means for applying avariable torque to the locking member to thereby vary a force necessaryto cause movement of the arcuate member relative to the locking member.It can also prevent the locking member from slipping on the arcuatemember when the checking is occurring. The arcuate member may be adaptedto be pivotally mounted to the frame and have opposed longitudinallyextending surfaces, one engaging the locking member and the otherengaging the support member.

[0144] One disclosed locking member is a cam including an integral camshaft defining a rotational axis for the cam. The cam has an irregularshape and is arranged to press the arcuate member against the supportmember with a variable force depending on the position of the cam. Forexample, the cam can have a first flat surface having edges and secondand third arcuate surfaces alongside a respective edge of the first flatsurface such that the radial distance at the edges is greater than theradial distance of the first flat surface. A cam holder is connected tothe cam and has an edge adapted to contact the support member once thesecond or third arcuate surface contacts the arcuate member such thatthe biasing means press the cam holder against the support member. Inthis manner, there is a release of the pressure applied by the biasingmeans to force the cam against the support member with the arcuatemember interposed between the cam and the support member and enablingthe arcuate member to move.

[0145] A locking member holder may be connected to the locking memberfor holding the same and whereby the biasing means comprise an elasticspring operative at one end against the housing and operative at anopposite end against the locking member holder.

[0146] The torque means may comprise one or more elastica springs, eachmounted at one end to the locking member holder and bearing against thelocking member at an opposite end. More particularly, each elasticaspring can be arranged to bear against a respective recessed arcuatesurface of the locking member. In the alternative, the torque means maycomprise a cantilevered spring mounted at one end to the locking memberholder and having its opposite end movable between two projectionsarranged on the locking member An automatic door closing apparatus canbe provided for enabling the door to close automatically under its ownweight. This may comprise a motor coupled to the housing, and a rodextending into engagement with the support bracket and actuatable by themotor to pull the locking member away from the arcuate member.

[0147] Another embodiment of an infinite door check mechanism inaccordance with the invention comprises a door check housing adapted tobe mounted on the door, a support member arranged in the housing, arotatable locking member arranged in the housing, a strip member adaptedto be mounted to and extend outward from the frame, biasing means forurging the locking member in a direction toward the strip member, andmeans for increasing a drag force upon rotation of the locking memberbeyond predetermined limits. The means for increasing the drag force maycomprise a cantilevered spring mounted at one end to a locking memberholder and having its opposite end movable between projections on thelocking member. The cantilevered spring applies a variable torque to thelocking member to thereby vary a force necessary to cause movement ofthe strip member relative to the locking member. The strip member may beserrated on a surface engaging the locking member to thereby formalternating teeth and grooves whereby the locking member has a tippositionable in the grooves.

[0148] Another embodiment of an infinite door check mechanism inaccordance with the invention comprises a door check housing adapted tobe mounted on the door, a support member arranged in the housing, arotatable locking member arranged in the housing and an elongate stripmember adapted to be mounted to and extend outward from the frame. Thestrip member extends at least partially through the housing and is atleast partially interposed between the locking member and the supportmember. A first spring selectively presses the locking member againstthe strip member to force the strip member against the support memberand thereby retain the strip member in a fixed position resulting inchecking of the door and releases pressure of the locking member againstthe strip member and thereby enable movement of the strip member. One ormore additional springs engage with the locking member and apply torqueto the locking member to prevent the locking member from slipping on thestrip member when the checking is occurring. The locking member andsprings may be as described above,

[0149] Another embodiment of a door check mechanism in accordance withthe invention comprises a door check housing adapted to be mounted onthe door, a support member and a movable locking member arranged in thehousing, a strip member adapted to be mounted to and extend outward fromthe frame, and biasing and torque means for biasing the locking memberagainst the strip member and applying a variable torque to the lockingmember to thereby vary a force necessary to result in movement of thestrip member relative to the locking member. The strip member isarranged at least partially in the housing and is at least partiallyinterposed between the locking member and the support member. Thelocking member may comprises a cam in which case, a shaft is providedfor supporting the cam in the housing. The cam has a groove throughwhich the shaft passes. The biasing and torque means may comprise one ormore springs each coupled at one end to the housing and at an oppositeend to the locking member. The strip member has a first surface incontact with the locking member and a second surface opposite the firstsurface. If the second surface of the strip member includes a groove,the support member has a conical portion engaging with the groove of thestrip member to thereby constitute a sprag wedging system.

[0150] Yet another embodiment of an infinite door check mechanismdisclosed above comprises an elongate strip member mounted to the frameand directed outward from the frame, a door check housing adapted to bemounted on the door, the strip member extending at least partiallythrough the housing, a support member arranged in the housing, a movablelocking member arranged in the housing such that the strip member isinterposed between the locking member and the support member, andbiasing means for selectively pressing the locking member against thestrip member to force the strip member against the support member andthereby retain the strip member in a fixed position and releasingpressure of the locking member against the strip member and therebyenable movement of the strip member. The strip member may be arcuate andfixedly or movably mounted to the frame, e.g., pivotally mounted bymeans of a clevis attached to the frame. The strip member has opposedlongitudinally extending surfaces, one of which engages the lockingmember and another of which engages the support member. The door checkmechanism may be mounted either horizontally or vertically in the door.

[0151] In certain embodiments, the locking member is a cam including anintegral cam shaft defining a rotational axis for the cam or the camshaft may be fixed in the housing or cam holder and pass through a slotin the cam. The cam has an irregular shape and is arranged to press thestrip member against the support member with a variable force dependingon the position of the cam. The main door check force is thus thefrictional sliding resistance between the strip and the cam or lockingmember. With respect to the irregular shape of the cam, it may include afirst flat surface having edges and second and third arcuate surfacesalongside a respective edge of the first flat surface such that theradial distance at the edges is greater than the radial distance of thefirst flat surface. If a cam holder is fixedly connected to the cam, thecam holder has an edge adapted to contact the support member once thesecond or third arcuate surface contacts the strip member such that thebiasing means presses the cam holder against the support member therebyreleasing pressure applied by the biasing means to force the stripagainst the support member and enabling the strip member to move, i.e.,to any number of different positions relative to the door check housingand thus enable the door to be opened to any desired degree. The camalso includes fourth and fifth recessed arcuate surfaces on an oppositeside of the cam from the first flat surface, and rotation limiting meansarranged in the housing for limiting rotational movement of the cam,e.g., a tab at least partially extending into one of the fourth andfifth recessed surfaces.

[0152] If the locking member is fixed to a locking member holder, anedge of the locking member is adapted to contact the support member uponrotation of the locking member such that the biasing means press thelocking member holder against the support member thereby releasingpressure applied by the biasing means to force the locking memberagainst the support member with the strip member interposed between thelocking member and the support member and enabling the strip member tomove, i.e., to any number of different positions relative to the doorcheck housing and thus enable the door to be opened to any desireddegree. Rotation limiting means may be arranged in the housing forlimiting rotational movement of the locking member, e.g., a tab at leastpartially extending into a recessed surface of the locking member. Thebiasing means may comprise an elastic spring operative at one endagainst the housing and operative at an opposite end against the lockingmember holder.

[0153] It is an important feature of some embodiments of the inventionthat torque means are present for applying torque to the locking memberto prevent the locking member from slipping on the strip member when thechecking is occurring. This may comprise one or more elastica springs,each mounted at one end to the locking member holder and bearing againstthe locking member at an opposite end. If the locking member is a cam,the elastic springs bear against the fourth and fifth recessed arcuatesurfaces, thereby exerting a torque on the cam urging it back to thechecked position. In the alternative, the torque means comprise acantilevered spring mounted at one end to the locking member holder andhaving its opposite end movable between two projections arranged on thelocking member.

[0154] In some embodiments, the support member comprises an additionalmovable locking member arranged such that the strip member is interposedbetween the two locking members. In this case, the torque means maycomprise elastica springs, each pivotally mounted at one end to thelocking member holder and bearing against the locking member at anopposite end, e.g., against a respective recessed arcuate surfacethereof

[0155] In other embodiments, the strip member is serrated on a surfaceengaging the locking member to thereby form alternating teeth andgrooves and the locking member has a tip positionable within one of thegrooves. Thus, the locking member may include a pair of arcuate surfacesadapted to be pressed against the strip member and a pointed tip definedbetween the arcuate surfaces. In any of the embodiments disclosedherein, the locking member may have a beveled edge and the strip memberhas a groove for at least partially receiving the beveled edge of thelocking member. This creates a sprag effect and increases the frictionalforce of the locking member against the strip and results in someadditional ware.

[0156] The door check mechanism in accordance with any of theembodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be incorporatedtogether with an automatic door closing apparatus for enabling the doorto close automatically under its own weight or by electric motor. Suchan apparatus may comprise a motor coupled to the housing, and a rodextending into engagement with a support bracket associated with thelocking member and actuatable by the motor to pull the locking memberaway from the strip member.

[0157] In another embodiment, the infinite door check mechanism inaccordance with the invention comprises a door check housing adapted tobe mounted on the door, a support member adapted to be mounted to theframe, the support member including a hinge pin defining a rotationalaxis about which the support member is rotatable, a hinge memberarranged around the hinge pin, a movable locking member arranged in thehousing to engage the hinge member, and biasing means arranged in thehousing for selectively pressing the locking member against the hingemember to force the locking member against the hinge member and therebyretain the hinge member and thus the door in a fixed position andreleasing pressure of the locking member against the hinge member andthereby enable rotation of hinge member and thus the door. The mechanismmay include a locking member holder fixedly connected to the lockingmember whereby the biasing means comprise a strip of bent springmaterial arranged in the housing to exert pressure against the lockingmember holder and thus the locking member. Drag exerting means may beprovided for exerting a drag force onto the hinge member to enable thelocking member to rotate without slipping, e.g., at least one elasticaspring structured and arranged to apply a torque to the locking member,each mounted at one end to a locking member holder and bearing againstthe locking member at an opposite end.

[0158] The infinite door check mechanism may be arranged opposite tothat described immediately above in that the door check housing ismounted on the frame of the vehicle and the support member is mounted tothe door, the support member including a hinge pin or member defining arotational axis about which the support member is rotatable. In thiscase, the hinge member is arranged around the hinge pin and connected tothe door to enable the door to rotate about the axis.

We claim:
 1. A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from aclosed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of differentopen positions and held in the different open positions, comprising: arack adapted to be coupled to and extend outward from the frame; a gearadapted to be arranged on the door, said gear having teeth and beingarranged in engagement with said rack; and detent means arranged inengagement with said rack and said gear for enabling the door to bepositioned in a plurality of fixed positions and for preventing movementof the door to a different fixed position when a force exerted upon thedoor is below a threshold.
 2. The door check mechanism of claim 1,further comprising a housing adapted to be arranged on the door, saidgear and said detent means being arranged in connection with saidhousing.
 3. The door check mechanism of claim 1, wherein said detentmeans comprise a member having engagement means for engaging said rackand pressing means for pressing said gear against said rack.
 4. The doorcheck mechanism of claim 3, wherein said engagement means comprise apawl.
 5. The door check mechanism of claim 3, wherein said pressingmeans comprise a detent and biasing means for biasing said detentagainst said gear to thereby press said gear against said rack.
 6. Thedoor check mechanism of claim 3, wherein said detent means are arrangedto prevent rotation of said gear relative to said member when a forceexerted on the door is less than a threshold and allow rotation of saidgear relative to said member when the force exerted on the door isgreater than the threshold.
 7. The door check mechanism of claim 3,wherein said detent means further comprise movement preventing means forpreventing movement of said member when a force exerted on the door isbelow a threshold.
 8. The door check mechanism of claim 1 wherein saiddetent means comprise a cam having a pawl arranged to selectively engagewith said rack.
 9. The door check mechanism of claim 8, wherein saiddetent means further comprise holding means for holding said cam in astationary position.
 10. The door check mechanism of claim 8, whereinsaid detent means further comprise a movable piston member having aroller arranged in connection therewith, said roller engaging said cam.11. The door check mechanism of claim 10, wherein said cam includes anindentation in a surface and said roller is positionable against saidindentation whereby when said roller is forced against said indentation,said cam is immovable.
 12. The door check mechanism of claim 10, whereinsaid detent means further comprise biasing means for forcing said rollerinto engagement with said cam to prevent movement of said cam.
 13. Thedoor check mechanism of claim 8, wherein said detent means furthercomprise a detent and a spring arranged on said cam for biasing saiddetent against said gear.
 14. The door check mechanism of claim 13,wherein said detent is biased by said spring against a slot betweenadjacent teeth of said gear.
 15. The door check mechanism of claim 8,wherein said cam is arranged to rotate upon relative movement betweenthe door and said rack upon exertion of a force above a threshold. 16.The door check mechanism of claim 15, further comprising at least onestop for restricting rotational movement of said cam.
 17. An infinitedoor check mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closedposition in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different openpositions and held in the different open positions, comprising: a rackadapted to be coupled to and extend outward from the frame; a gearadapted to be arranged on the door, said gear having teeth and beingarranged in engagement with said rack; a cam having a pawl arranged toselectively engage with said rack; a detent arranged on said cam; and aspring arranged on said cam for biasing said detent against said gear tothereby press said gear against said rack and prevent rotation of saidgear relative to said cam when a force exerted on the door is less thana threshold and allow rotation of said gear relative to said cam whenthe force exerted on the door is greater than the threshold wherebyrotation of said gear relative to said cam enables the door to bepositioned in a plurality of positions relative to said rack.
 18. Thedoor check mechanism of claim 17, further comprising a housing adaptedto be arranged on the door, said gear and said cam being arranged inconnection with said housing.
 19. The door check mechanism of claim 17,further comprising a movable piston member having a roller arranged inconnection therewith, said roller engaging said cam.
 20. The door checkmechanism of claim 19, wherein said cam includes an indentation in asurface and said roller is positionable against said indentation wherebywhen said roller is forced against said indentation, said cam isimmovable.
 21. The door check mechanism of claim 19, further comprisinga spring for forcing said roller into engagement with said cam toprevent movement of said cam.
 22. The door check mechanism of claim 17,wherein said detent is biased by said spring against a slot betweenadjacent teeth of said gear.
 23. The door check mechanism of claim 17,wherein said cam is arranged to rotate upon relative movement betweenthe door and said rack upon exertion of a force above a threshold. 24.The door check mechanism of claim 23, further comprising at least onestop for restricting rotational movement of said cam.